


Be Our Guest

by WorryinglyInnocent



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Monthly Rumbelling, Drive-In Theatre, F/M, Little Bae, Matchmaker Bae, Movie Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 08:45:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10963743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorryinglyInnocent/pseuds/WorryinglyInnocent
Summary: Belle parks up beside Gold and Bae at the drive-in movie theatre. When Bae invites her to share his popcorn, Belle and Gold end up paying a lot less attention to the film...Written for the Monthly Rumbelling prompt: "Movie Night"





	Be Our Guest

To call Storybrooke's drive-in movie theatre an actual drive-in movie theatre would be a bit of a stretch of the imagination to even the most forgiving of minds, but since it was the nearest thing that its citizens had to a cinema without travelling miles to the next large town with a theatre, they accepted it with good grace. The venture had been Leroy's idea; thinking that hospital janitorial duties was not the most lucrative of career paths, he'd sought to supplement his income and the makeshift drive-in was as good a way as any. Sourcing a huge white sheet and fixing it to the side of one of the abandoned buildings on the docks and setting up a projector on the roof of his truck, he was pretty much set. Whilst the legality of the operation was always slightly under question, no-one paid all that much attention to it since both the mayor and the sheriff were regulars in the little parking lot.

One car that had never yet been seen at the drive-in, however, was the impressive black Cadillac that usually sat outside Mr Gold's shop, and when it pulled into the theatre one Friday evening, ready for a double showing, it certainly caused more than a few raised eyebrows among the other patrons. Inside the car, Mr Gold himself was beginning to think that this had been an absolutely terrible idea.

"Bae, you know, we can just watch the movie at home," he said. "We've got the DVD. Are you sure that you wouldn't be more comfortable on the sofa?"

His son, sitting in the passenger seat and practically vibrating with excitement, shook his head with vigour.

"You promised," Bae said solemnly. Gold sighed, and tried to ignore all the strange looks that they were getting. He had indeed promised his son that for his birthday, they would go to the drive-in theatre and see the film. It was a rare double feature, showing the Disney cartoon version of _Robin Hood_ for the kids first, then the live action Flynn/De Havilland classic for the adults afterwards. Bae was going through a Disney phase and loved all things to do with both anthropomorphic animals and Robin Hood, so it had seemed like the perfect birthday treat at the time. They pulled up in a prime viewing spot in front of the screen, and  Bae immediately took off his seatbelt and resettled himself on the cushions that he was sitting on to boost his height, tugging his Spiderman dressing gown in close around him and settling in to watch the film. Even if Gold didn't stay for the second part of the showing, they'd still be getting home after Bae's bedtime, so he was already in his pyjamas for when they got home. Gold knew his son well enough to know that he'd either be too sleepy or too excited to do anything productive like putting his pyjamas on or washing his face once they got home.

There were not many other cars in the place; Gold assumed that most of the other viewers would arrive later for the second film. Those that were there all had young children and were more preoccupied with making sure that they didn't get bored during the waiting period before the film began to show, but all the same, Gold couldn't help noticing that no-one was parking near them and the adults were all viewing the Cadillac with some degree of suspicion. He sighed; it was a circumstance that he was used to, and Bae was still too young and far too excited about being out past bedtime to notice that they were somewhat alone in their section of the drive-in.

Gold's thoughts were completely turned on their head when a small car pulled up right beside them. Glancing sideways, he saw Belle French sitting in the driver's seat. She met his eyes and smiled, waving to him. Gold, perplexed, remembered to wave back. She mouthed something to him but there was no way he could understand her through two layers of car windows, and it took him a little while to twig that he should probably open his window and speak to her.

"It's Miss Belle!" Bae waved frantically from the passenger seat and unceremoniously scrambled across onto his father's lap to wave excitedly at the librarian, quite possibly his favourite person in the town after his father (and sometimes before his father, especially when bathtime was involved). Over in her own car, Belle giggled and wound her window down, finally prompting Gold to do likewise.

"Hey Bae!" she said. "Hey Mr Gold. Fancy seeing you here.”

“It’s my birthday,” Bae said excitedly. “That’s why we’re here.”

“Many happy returns, Bae. Are you looking forward to the film?"

"Yep! Robin Hood's my favourite!"

Belle nodded. "He's mine too. What about you, Mr Gold?"

"I, erm..."

He wasn't really quite sure why he was so perplexed by Belle's presence beside them, although the fact that Belle was now clambering over her own gear shift to settle in the passenger seat of her car so that she could speak to them easier was definitely not helping his abstraction given the length of her skirt.

"Papa's favourite is the Jungle Book," Bae supplied helpfully. "He always sighs like Bagheera does."

Gold gave one such sigh now, grateful that it was masked by Belle's laughter.

“Well, I think Bagheera suits you, Mr Gold,” she said. “Refined and majestic, and always dressed in black, just like a panther.”

Gold just blinked, not entirely able to believe what he had just heard, but the look in Belle’s eyes told him that her words were entirely genuine and not in jest. She was smiling softly, her eyes never leaving his face, and he racked his brains, trying frantically to think of something to say in response. Being complimented by beautiful young librarians adored by his son was not something that happened to him every day, no matter how much he might want it to. Unfortunately, all that he managed to say was a rather strangled sounding ‘uff’. Thankfully, it was at that moment that the film began and Bae squirmed back into the passenger seat in order to get the best view and a more comfortable seat than being squashed in behind the steering wheel.

“Enjoy the film, you two,” Belle said, but then no more words were exchanged between the two cars.

Gold was grateful that for all his excited hyperactivity before the film had begun, Bae was always rapt whenever his favourite characters were on the screen, and seeing them displayed in huge relief on the side of a building was even better. Despite having seen the film several times before, he still watched in wide-eyed wonder and shushed his father ferociously when he pushed his seat back in order to stretch out his bad leg. Gold, for his part, couldn’t concentrate on the film, and the fact that he’d seen it enough times to know the entire script backwards had nothing to do with it. He couldn’t help glancing over at Belle every few minutes, watching her rather than the movie. Although he never caught her at it, he strongly suspected that she was doing the same, catching the little movements of her head out of the corner of his eye, but by the time he looked in her direction, she was seemingly engrossed in the film once more.

Halfway through the showing, there was a short intermission, allowing the drive-in’s patrons to purchase popcorn, soda and candy from the little stall that Leroy had set up at the back of the carpark - and for some of the younger viewers to use the portapotties Leroy had had the foresight to install.

Bae opened the passenger door and rushed off towards the concession stand; Gold had promised his son that he could have some popcorn as part of the birthday treat and Gold rolled his eyes, grabbing his cane from the back seat and getting out of the vehicle. Beside him, Belle was getting out of her own car.

“You can’t fault his enthusiasm for the whole experience,” she said.

“Indeed not. I was hoping that I could keep him in the car since he’s wearing his pyjamas.”

Belle just laughed as they made their way over to the concession stand. A couple of other people who were watching the film were paying, and Bae was looking up at the different sized popcorn containers.

“Well, it’s good to know that Storybrooke’s drive-in prices can compete with the large cinema chains,” Gold muttered as he looked at the price lists. Leroy shot him a glare, but the presence of Bae’s wide and innocent eyes prevented the proprietor from saying exactly what he thought of Gold.

“You know, it’s much better value to buy a large tub than two small ones,” Belle pointed out. Bae turned and looked from Belle to his father and back again.

“Miss Belle and me could share!” he said. Gold quirked an eyebrow. Whilst Belle was right and it was much better value to buy one large popcorn, he thought that Bae might have been a little bit presumptuous in his suggestion.

“I think that’s an excellent idea, Bae,” Belle said. “I’d be honoured to share your birthday popcorn.”

“It might get a bit difficult passing the box between the cars all the time,” Gold pointed out. Bae just rolled his eyes.

“Miss Belle could come and sit in our car,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “She can have my seat.”

“And where would you sit?” Gold asked.

“On you,” Bae replied with a five year old’s perfect logic. “You moved your seat so there’s room now.”

Gold looked to Belle to help him out, but she was smiling that soft little smile, a cheeky little glint in her eye.

“I’d love to join you, if you’ll have me,” she said.

Gold just nodded dumbly, not quite able to believe that someone so lovely as Belle wanted to spend time with him and Bae.

“Be our guest,” he said, and proceeded to purchase a large box of popcorn and shepherd his son back towards the Cadillac. Belle produced a few bills from her purse to cover her half of the popcorn, but he shook his head. “My treat. It’s Bae’s birthday, after all.”

“Thank you, Mr Gold.” Before he could protest, she had darted in and pecked a kiss of gratitude to his cheek before taking a piece of popcorn.

They got settled comfortably in the Cadillac, the popcorn balanced between the front seats, and the film restarted. With Belle sitting right next to him, in the same car, with no barrier of metal and glass between them, Gold took in even less of the second half of the showing. She was so close that he could smell her sweet floral perfume; he could reach across and touch the creamy skin of her arm. He shook his head crossly and forced himself to focus on the screen as Robin Hood and his merry band rescued the prisoners from the castle.

Belle’s fingers brushed against his in the popcorn container and he pulled away quickly, as if he’d been stung, and he looked over at her. She was looking at him, and then down at their hands, almost touching. A shy little blush spread over her cheeks and she looked away quickly, but she did not move her hand, her fingertips still resting lightly on the popped kernels, as if she was about to pluck one up and eat it, but never making any motion. Was she perhaps inviting another touch? Very tentatively, Gold reached out with his index finger and brushed it against her pinkie. She didn’t flinch, but Gold could see the corner of her mouth turn up in a little smile. He didn’t watch any of the rest of the movie. He was mesmerised by the woman sitting beside him. She’d been a part of his life in passing for so long, ever since she came to the town and began paying rent to him, ever since she’d instilled Bae’s love of stories and adventures into him. He knew that she was beautiful, and he knew that she was kind, and he knew that she had parked up right beside him in the half-empty drive-in with no compunctions whatsoever, so he also knew that she was brave, and bold… and a lot of other things that he wasn’t. But Gold knew, fundamentally, that whatever else she was or wasn’t, she was right here in his car with him and Bae, and he was touching her, and she wasn’t flinching away, and she looked a lot like there could perhaps be something simmering between the surface.

The end of the movie came too soon, and it took a little while for Gold to realise that the screen had gone blank and that Bae was watching him with a look far too sage and knowing for a boy of his age. Reluctantly, he removed his hand from Belle’s with a little sigh.

“Were you going to stay for the second movie?” Belle asked. “It’s not too kid-unfriendly, after all, and there’s still some popcorn left.”

Gold looked around. A few cars were leaving the theatre, and a few others were arriving.

“Were you going to stay?” he asked Belle.

“I was.” She smiled. “I can understand if you don’t want to keep Bae out too much past his bedtime, though.”

“I’m not tired!” Bae said quickly, before giving a rather loud yawn. “I can stay out late. It’s my birthday!”

Gold chuckled. It was a special occasion, after all, and Bae could always sleep in the car.

“All right,” he said. “But just this once, because it’s your birthday.”

“You’re the best!” Bae hugged his father and the three of them settled down to watch the second movie.

Although there was plenty of swashbuckling and Errol Flynn in green tights, the classic live action film did not hold Bae’s attention like the cartoon had, and he soon began to yawn and fidget in Gold’s lap, eventually climbing through into the back of the car. Gold twisted in his seat, pulling the blanket he kept in the back of the car over Bae as he began to nod off fully, and Belle also turned to help tuck the birthday boy in where the angle was too awkward for Gold.

“Thank you,” he whispered as they returned their attention to the screen and the popcorn.

“It’s my pleasure. Bae’s a wonderful little boy and I love spending time with him.” Belle paused, and the shy little blush crept over her cheeks again. “And his father.”

Gold blinked a couple of times and finally realised that she must mean him. And also that she was probably waiting for a response to her statement.

“I love spending time with you, too,” he said eventually.

Belle smiled. “Maybe we could make movie night a regular thing?”

“I’d like that,” Gold said.

“Me too.”

Their fingers were touching in the popcorn container again, and Belle took the plunge, lifting his hand out of the salty kernels and interlacing her fingers with his before leaning in a little tentatively. Gold did likewise and eventually, their lips met, and both of them forgot the movie on the screen in front of them in favour of discovering each other instead. Belle’s lips tasted of salt, and Gold smiled against her mouth when she broke away.

Movie night was definitely going to happen again.

 


End file.
